Don't buy the phone with the 'best camera,' buy the phone you like as a phone

If your job entails giving people on the internet buying advice about photo gear, you field a lot of questions from friends who want to make a camera purchase. It sounds corny, but we at DPR actually love these questions – it's a chance to put an otherwise somewhat useless store of knowledge to work. We get something out of the transaction too: a data point about the needs and wants of people who are actually buying cameras. It's like a pop quiz we spend 40 hours a week studying for.

Lately, it's not just cameras we're asked about. Friends have seen plenty of advertising declaring this or that smartphone as having the 'best camera.' More and more, we see people treating their smartphone purchase as a camera purchase too, so it makes plenty of sense that these claims hold a lot of sway. People who seek our advice are now debating between a couple of flagship devices, sometimes within the same operating system, and sometimes not. But the question is the same – "'Such and such phone' has the best camera, should I buy it?"

Here's the short answer: Not necessarily.

The flagship phones from the major manufacturers all have pretty darn good cameras at this point. Sure, there are slight advantages in image quality in different scenarios, but overall, any minor shortcomings are going to be easier to live with than an operating system you don't like. This is especially true if you're upgrading from a phone that's several generations old. Manufacturers have been leaning hard into camera tech innovation for the past few years, so you'll probably see plenty of improvement even upgrading from a device several years old to last year's flagship.

You'll probably see plenty of improvement even upgrading from a device several years old to last year's flagship

There's a slight caveat here: while quality from most smartphone cameras is good, a few of them do offer unique hardware-based camera features. The LG V30's super-wide-angle lens is a good example – if a wider lens is something you really want, it's worth checking the V30 out because it's basically one-of-a-kind right now.

It's also worth remembering that the demands on image quality in smartphones are, in most cases, much lower than on dedicated cameras. Photos taken with phones will likely only ever be viewed at lower resolution on another device screen or in smaller printed formats, like Chatbooks. In many situations, even the image quality benefits of a dedicated camera will be negligible when images are downsized for viewing on a 5" screen.

So why even test phone cameras if they're all good enough at this point? The same reason why we test cameras: so you can make an informed buying decision. We also fully expect them to eventually challenge more traditional cameras, but that's another story for another day. Even if we could declare one traditional camera as the objective 'best camera,' that would be a pretty meaningless award. Size and cost, for example, are two huge factors to consider when buying a camera. It doesn't matter if you bought the 'best' camera of all time; if it's too heavy and you leave it at home most of the time then it wasn't the best camera for you.

How you get along with your smartphone is an important consideration since many of us spend an embarrassing amount of our waking hours using them

How you get along with your smartphone is an important consideration since many of us spend an embarrassing amount of our waking hours using them. It has taken the place of a dedicated camera for lots of folks, but it's not just our camera – it's also our communication hub, media player, notepad, grocery list, bank, travel agent, the list goes on. How you like using it and how it feels in your hand should be given as much, if not more consideration than whether the camera scored three points higher than another.

We'll keep testing smartphone cameras so we can help inform your decision and point out where there's still room for improvement. In the meantime, if you're debating upgrading to a new phone and you've got an eye on the one with the 'best camera,' consider heading to a wireless retail store and see if that's the one you like best as a phone. You'll be glad that you did.

Comments

"Don't buy the phone with the 'best camera,' buy the phone you like as a phone." WHY?

First of all, this is DPR, not GSMarena. The ONE reason we even speak of smartphones on here is the CAMERA.

Second, ALL phones do exactly the SAME thing! Android and Apple are equivalent, and within those two ecosystems, differences are so minute, that they can all be compensated by the addition of the missing app.

I see no point at all, to over-complexifying the choice of a phone, when they all do the _same_ things.

What makes the difference for us, is the camera and it's camera app, and peripheral functions, like video and sound quality. (and the camera app is one area where there isn't always a 3rd-party app to compensate, contrary to other functions).

There isn't anything else really. Within a given brand, you can choose screen + size, waterproofing, battery autonomy... but they all do exactly the same thing... but if you like photography, the camera will make or break your choice.

For me, the Nikon app and Sony app for file transfer and its specs on the phone I desire are the most important consideration. Processor speeds of 40 meg files, via the internet a MUST! Not all phones are created equally!

there is more than one aspect while choosing the portable camera: which real camera can be comparing to a phone:1- so mobile2- so good in video3- so connected4- has PS on board5- so good with battery6- so robust (IPxx)

Take in example a trip to mountains, where every gram counts. When you really hike or climb and you are tired like crazy. Will you care about taking the camera out of your rucksack and shot or will you rather take your phone out of your pocket and do it? A photo, a video.I recently climbed some 5000m+ mountains and believe me: even Fuji X100 seemed to be too heavy to use it there. And video from this camera is close to zero. So I used my phones I had with me: S7 edge, Nokia N8, S6 edge - they all gave me a pleasure to be happy with climbing and to have some photos and video from the moments. So when it comes to balance between portability and quality in such occasions I will go for the best camera found in any phone.

3 phones were carried by: 1 me, 1 my wife, 1 my kid - difficult to spread X100 among 3 people each one is around 160g = 500g give or takeX100 only weights almost the same3 phones = 3 batteriesfor X100 I would have to carry extra ones

I got rid of my iPhone 6 and got a Samsung S7 Edge which is far more advanced and open also. It integrates with my Macs through Google which helps me to communicate with people in Winworld. The only problem: It is very fragile! The second front glass is already chipped.It seems strange they make their phones like this, is it a capitalist plot to sell protective covers and spare part screens?Got a Redmi Xiaomi as my backup phone.It is light and nice but the camera just does not cut it in my use.The scene will change. The fragile status phones will become a niche and the pragmatic Chinese will flood the market with affordable stuff that 'Just Does It'.

After using my A6300 and RX 100 IV I forgot using mobile phones for taking photos. They offer decent performance, convenient to carry, high quality images, lens options etc...camera pictures look nowhere near the digital camera images, nevertheless I use mobilephones occassionally for taking pictures and for scanning documents.

You are in for a surprise. Iphone 8 and X will shock you over the quality. I have High end Canon and Phase One cameras. After seeing the iphone 8 photos (I was using a 6 plus) I bought an iphone X. Love the camera but hate the X. shold have stuck with an 8...

Qaz ... I have multiple dslr's including full-frame with good lenses. I've been a slr and dslr owner/user since 1970. Camera phones cannot compare on IQ. Also, Apple camera phones are not unique. You speak as though the exist in another galaxy, so to speak. Samsung Galaxy Phones are frequently proclaimed the "best", but by a hair. However, it's really splitting hairs between the Google, Samsung, and Apple phones .., and even other Chinese phones. Please stop posing as an expert, when you are obviously not. Camera phones are more convenient, but they are not as good as DSLRs.

So many conspiracy theorists... I admire the restraint from DPR staff towards these commenters. So I will say, in the absence of said restraint... MY GOD - GET A LIFE!

I’d like to add that, in spite of ratings and awards that are given by this site, I’ve never thought of DPR primarily as a place to discover superlatives in the digital photography industry. DPR has actually helped me several times to find the RIGHT camera for me, not the “BEST.” Those cameras were definitely not the same ilk as a Nikon D500 or a Sony A7R III, even though these cameras are extremely capable and versatile (and are also the highest rated cameras on DPR currently). The right camera is one that fits my budget, my shooting style, and does exactly what I need it to do with a minimum of fuss. And I’ve found myself very much enjoying owning cameras that are looked down upon by the “enthusiasts” (i.e. people who I define as lovers of photography gear more than lovers of photography).

Phone high end market is not Camera end market. The rules are different. The reasons people buy them are different. But nowadays, you see teenagers that have no idea of what a camera is made of or for, arguing about camera quality - hurts the ears.

I partially agree that phones are phones (well, not exactly used for talking but u got it) and cameras are cameras. I also agree that having a decent camera on your phone makes a difference at least to record beautiful silly memories of your daily life.

But the point is - today, most phone cameras indeed are similar but dude - the phones, the FREAKING PHONES ARE NOT!!!

I worked in telecom for ages, I owned phones from all major brands and they are absurdly different in terms of feel, build quality, durability, bugs, OS and everything.

The problem here is that simplifying the purchase of a phone just by checking the latest camera reviews is like buying your main work camera based on it's colour. It simply does not reflect or predict your overall satisfaction because its not the only thing that matters and by far is not what you will deal with in your most stressful moments, such as waking up, direct sunlight on screen, spilling water, dropping it or dealing with bloatware.

Like any and every gadget, do your research properly and find what REALLY suits you. Or just follow the first tweet from your buddies and complain on internet forums for the rest of the year like most people.

Well, said teenagers have started to buy vinyls again (but don't yet know how to play them, give them time). The only problem I see is that I might not see it anymore coming round full circle as I'm now of a certain age.

I bought an S9+. I'm somewhat happy with the camera, less happy with the camera software and not really keen on the Samsung ecosystem.

But I got exactly what I wanted - a camera that takes pretty good, low-light photos.

For me, the it is the camera that matters most. Saying that most cellphone cameras are alike is nonsense, especially since most apps behave the exact same was on most phones. WhatsApp works the same, email apps work the same, etc.

I buy the phone with one of the best cameras, if it is in a nice price-range. My next phone will be LG G6, the camera is worse than on the G4 which I have at the moment, but it is good enough and I need a new phone.

Well... it's not much worse, same pixel size, but 13MPx instead of 16.But you also get that 120 degree wide camera which is really, really, really nice (not regarding IQ, but regarding the possibilities that it adds to the phone).

I've got this phone for my wife like 2-3 weeks back, it is really good. If you are interested in IQ, shoot raw and process them on PC, LG (actually like most) is terrible at processing the images :)

I had horrible luck with the LG G4. I had 4 of them die from overheating issues in 2 years. Since they were under warranty I just got a refurbished one every time, which meant I never got a good one. Glad you had better luck than me. I enjoyed the phone, especially the camera, but it was a hassle to keep having to replace it. Now I have a cheap Moto E4 plus. Love the phone, hate the camera. I miss the image stabilization of my G4.

Don't buy the camera with the 'best sensor dynamic range,' buy the camera you like as a camera

Just because a camera has the current 'best sensor dynamic range' (even if you know how to take most advantage of the last half extra EV) doesn't mean it'll be the best for you. The differences between the top 20 sensors are slim at this point – you won't notice sensor shortcomings except when shooting for extremely high DR optimally for RAW, as much as you'll notice that you hate your camera user interface menu system, or awkward control dials and buttons, or poor reliability, or lack of durability.

As a photographer, I almost never use a phone camera for things other than quickly snapping a pic for note-taking purpose (like train schedule and so on). Because I almost always have a camera with me, and in the last 10 years or so, I can count the number of times when I had to rely on the camera on my phone for the purpose of photography with one hand. So I can't imagine myself buying a phone for its camera (although I was tempted by the Lumix CM1 )

For example, when at home or in your backyard (so your camera is pretty close) but you are just relaxing/playing with your kid, and suddenly he does something interesting and you want to instantly catch the moment, without worrying about IQ to much, the phone is the first thing you have on hand. Not everyone is BBQ-ing or watching TV with the DSLR strapped on his back :)

And you can generally print easy on an A5 with phones 3-4 years old, and with the last phones (2 years and newer) you can even print to A4 size, or A5 in indoor conditions, with the print looking good.

@badiTrue. I didn't mean to suggest that photography is necessarily anti-casual and sophisticated/complex. I supposed I feel this way because I've been committed to carry a camera with me all the time for a couple of years now, so whenever an interesting moment occurs, I would have a camera of some kind to capture it. In my personal experience, it's not a fuss to carry something like a a small mft camera with me. But I see your point about not having a camera strapped around one's neck while BBQ-ing.

Trash-like article that is obviously published to sink down Huawei P20 Pro sales and save Apple sales. Really, I'm not sure in Huawei firmware and usability, but its camera choice is much better than anything else on market at physical level. You can't update Apple small sensors to larger size and its optics to portrait angle. That's right, it's better to buy long-living models, but almost all top-rated models are long-living, so they all will get updates. However I reject them as too expensive toys. I prefer usable well-done models for quite low price, such as Xiaomi Redmi 4X. Will DPReview advertise it?

Following your post I just searched for the Huawel P20 Pro and watched a Huawei video where they had set fire to several softboxes and light stands, implying that they are no longer necessary if you have said mobile phone in your pocket.

I have rarely watched anything more ridiculous or counter-productive. :)

New cellphone cameras, sensors, algorithms and other new techs do make better images, some people consider good, better or better enough; some consider good but not enough or never enough, it all depends. A 225 HP Japanese car and a Chinese 24V 120W Electric Scooter Bike have the same function of carrying you from one place to the other; you may choose either a car or a scooter or both, and only you can tell which one serves you better and when.

I had a Lumia 1020, until it died last year. Around that time Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and Google Pixel 2 was already in the market and they were sold for more than SGD 1,000 (Singapore Dollar).

I felt it was a waste of money to spend more than SGD 1,000 for a phone with the aim of having the best camera available, I would prefer to spend more than SGD 1,000 on a real camera.

In the end, I purchased HTC U11 which has a reasonably good camera, with 6 GB RAM and 128 GB storage (versus the Note 8 which has 6GB RAM/64GB Storage and Pixel 2 XL which has 4GB RAM/64 GB Storage) for less than SGD 800!

however class leaders like huawei are with a decent 42 sqmm sensor, complimented by "helper"sensors,complex new algorithms,the reality remains that these are little better than good enthusiast compact of a few yrs ago, but far behind current enthusiast compacts using 1" sensors [116 sqmm] [canon\sony] or[apsc ricoh] its essential to any intelligent review of the situation for honesty and consistency of iewpoint. either you care about how well your lens & sensor performs, or you dont. You cant suddenly decide that since your favorite cellphone is last in pack iq that , you never actually cared about the camera. disingenious views serve no one, films made on an iphone as an apple publicity stunt dont constitute a tipping point. Cell phones are the easiest camera to always have with you,& why they dominate,that & social image connectivity ease. iq is last, this is why different makers are scrambling for better cameras & new image tech to bring phone iq out out its current iso 20 hole

Cosinaphile, I checked out your galleries and I like many of your images. I am from a camp that would like to start with a good quality image, but I also realize that technically excellently captured image is not everything. Creativity (noticing, creative composition, creative processing) are the most important factors for an advanced fine art photographer. From my perspective, the image quality (when processed from RAW) in modern cellphones is impressive and I won club competitions with cellphone images competing against images captured with DSLRs. For me the greatest limitation is the focal range of the cellphones. For me, selecting the right focal range to get the perspective I want is the most important decision in composing the image. Low weight and size and typically ability to focus close using the cellphones is important to me. I see cell phones as serious photographic equipment. Neither DSLRs or cell phones are perfect tools

You might want to consider the new Huawei P20 Pro in terms of assisting you somewhat on your focal range concerns. That model brings 3x optical and 5x hybrid zoom to the smart phone sector. It's not much but it's better then nothing and better then only digital zoom. I currently have the Huawei Mate 10 and fundamentally am very satisfied with it. But I am aiming to replace with the Huawei P20 because not only for the reason of zoom but it also has the same Leica glass (yes, glass, not plastic as many / most) and also the neural AI that senses scenes automatically, ampngst a host of other attractive features. I've reduced myself equipment down to just one MILC and related lenses for those special occasions I might want to have more focal range and/or just shoot with the larger sensor. Currently for myself that is Panasonic's G9 Pro. Otherwise, the best camera is the one you always have with you. That's usually in my shirt pocket in my case. My 2 cents FWIW.

thank you for the kind words pavel , as i said cellphones are about the level of a good enthusiest compact , but pre 1 inch sensors...clearly this means a well exposed image from a good cellphone camera can be excellent .... my walk around camera is the fuji x 30 , a 12 mp with a 58 sq mm sensor which is half the sensor size of the latest enthusiast compacts with 116 sq mm sensors [1 inch type]

i consider the output of the camera[x30] excellent and would be inclined to not hesitate using its files anywhere , to me its that good ... its sensor is about 1\4 the size of a m43 sensor , or about 1\6 the size of an apsc sensor ....

your post makes much sense to me .... you know what you're doing , its clear ....cheers paul in nyc

pavel , i just checked out your website , populated with many really strong images ... i see we love photography for many of the same reasons , your ability to see new ways of organizing space and visual relationships to construct an image serves your opus well

you may shoot images with a camera , but i think you possess the mind of a painter ....

Tokyo Jerry I have been looking at the Huawei p20 pro reviews. I am thoroughly tempted, although my Nexus 6P I s good. I am a bit hesitant about Huawei, because itin my view unnecessarily modifies the Android. Still, DXO ratings never let me down and camera is far more important to me than the cell phone part, where all the phones do just fine for my needs.

Cosinaphile (Paul), thank you for your kind words. I see your comments on my work as very perceptive. I do draw my inspiration from painters and not much from fellow photographers. Late 19th century and much of 20th century so a massive and impressive revolution in visual art and yet most of current photography follows closely in the footsteps of master photographers from the first half of the 20th century. Painters had to move over with th birth of photography just as we photographers now need to move over with the birth of cellphone photography. Too few of us are doing that

Pavel Muller. I don't know if I necessarily agree with your concerns about the Android operating system on Huawei. I find no problems whatsoever with my current mate 10. I do not use Huawei default emui launcher. Rather I prefer to use Nova Launcher as my primary launcher. I know these are just talking about the launchers which is the interface for interactivity, but still I have the latest Android 8 and I have no problems so far using it. The only problem might be for those living in the US and the matter of of actually being able to obtain one. In my case being in Japan and the Asia region and with contacts in Hong Kong, this is not an issue for me.

Best comment is this one by far. American automotive industry cried and complaimt like a giant baby when car brand Fisker borned with its first model Karma from Finland. Now that market dominated by Tesla :)

But cellphones made by Chinese factories under any brand contains any operating system (android ios or windows)... so now China is not just a producer for other. Also a brand.

The ergonomics of any phone for taking pictures is so inferior to any camera that no matter how good their technical imaging capabilities become they will be for casual use mostly. Of course, the vast majority of photos taken are for casual use. That's why I totally agree with this DPR article. For amateur photography hobbyists, which is the majority of readers of this site, pick the phone you want as a smart device and it's camera is very much a secondary consideration, especially since the gap between different brands in the same price point is negligible. Just the difference in the way a phone feels in your hands when you hold it several times a day can make or break your satisfaction with the device.

However, the image quality and imaging capabilities of more expensive phones are clearly superior to less expensive ones. So the question becomes, should you pay more for a phone with a better camera when the pictures you will be taking with it are just casual snaps?

good post , but i dont see the differences as negligible , huawei has leapt ahead .,.apple is finding new ways of combating that , the manipulations of the image quality expectations of its user base is the easiest path ,JUST CONVINCE THEM IT NEVER REALLY MATTERED ...its always been the OS or the look[brand]

apple will address this problem even as they manage it psychologically .. look to better apple phones cameras much better in the nest generations

Multisystem, yes, the ergonomics of cellphones are inferior to a pro-level DSLR (which I used for many years), but it is not a dealbreaker. You can still produce top-notch images with it despite the ergonomics. There are some good apps (FV-5) that give you a good control. I think that the future of cellphones for serious photographers is bright. I do not expect that it will replace ILC cameras (with or without mirrors), but it is becoming a part of a toolkit for serious photographers.

Pavel Muller, completely agree. Often people are averse to technological advancements until it becomes a norm. Other industry examples.... VHS/Beta giving way to the DVD / BD, audio cassette tapes gave way to the CD, film gave way to digital photography (in spite of the die hard film advocates). And camera smart phone technology will advance sufficiently such that ILC (mirrored or mirrorless) will give way to smartphone-based camera technology, if not entirely then to a great percentage. I myself use my smart phone camera over half the time, maybe 70% ? if I attempt to place a numeric value. The convenience of being able to take a photo or 4K/2K video clip any time, any place when needed / desired overrides having to carry an ILC with me all the time to do the same. And ten to be able to immediately edit and share advantages, definitely the smartphone-based camera is over half my usage these days.

P&S shooters and their audience do not care about IQ. If it got accidental good IQ audience does not know it. It is more about posterity rather than art. That is why P&S shooters dumped their P&S to switch to Cellphone Cameras. It is convenient. It got computer, a personal digital assistant, internet, encyclopaedia, map, video, GPS, three-lens camera if you get Huawei Pro and compact mirror ... isn't that awesome?

Those who stick with dSLR ILC and 4/3 mirrorless they are more artsy pixel-peeper types ...at the end of the day they have shoulder and back pains ...

people who appreciate the quality of a good dslr or mirrorless camera are not being artsy , but clearly they care about quality ,dynamic range and good high ISO performance, in a way that isn't possible with any cellphone currently ....

the dark truth of cellphones is they are good enough and people who have migrated to cellphones as their only image tool soon forget or never knew how much better real camera with real sensors and real zooms are , compared to the poverty of a cellphone .mirrorless cameras are light , some are tiny .... and certainly compacts like 1 inch from sony and canor or apsc from ricoh, are very light and cause no back or shoulder pain ... even my fuji x30 is a perfect never leave home without size .... its even lighter than some rappers bling

I think that most of the DSRL users also use cellphone's camera to take easy photos, but not the other way around. If you do not care about P & S camera IQ, you won't care either about cellphone IQ; but if you do care about IQ, e.g. color, dynamic range, shadow and highlight detail, sharpness, depth, artistic and visual effects, etc., big sensor cameras with big lens are still your pick; they are painful to carry, setup and use, but bring you totally different experiences, purpose, results and achievements.

And some care about "quality, dynamic range and good high ISO performance" simply for the sake of quality, dynamic range and good high ISO performance.

The technology is a tool to be used in the creation of a photographer's vision. That vision might entail a tack sharp 40MP image that will be blown up to a 60" print... or it might, for example, deliberately eschew all of that for the sake of mood. Or immediacy. Or intimacy.

Witness Sara Moon, who, in the age of film, choose not to use the film with the best dynamic range and color accuracy, and instead chose a high ISO 600-speed film pushed even further to 6400, giving each of her fashion images an ultra-grainy, gritty romantic feel.

It was the vision that counted, not the latest, greatest, best technology. That's why some people use 4x5 and 8x10 and would never be caught dead with a Fuji X30. And why others used Polaroids and Lomos.

or perhaps its the ..hmmm,consider this :.using 4x5 or 8x10 is bizarre overkill and expense for almost everyone. very few can justify the need for that ,unless convinced of the necessity to realize a special art goal etc.similarly Polaroids and lomos are as much an affectation as a pork-pie hat. kids fooling with Polaroid is more honest, my 12 year old wanted an instant fuji. i got it in turquoise for her. and then there is the artist with a lomo... yeah ..i suppose consider the cameras you mentioned , 4x5 film 8x10 film ...wildly impractical or a lomo or Polaroid for a lo- fi obsession ? the only practical genuinely useful camera you mentioned was the superb little tank with helicoid all metal manual zoom a 58 sqmm sensor and true enthusiest level evf , controls , great iq and lens ..and build that make sony rx 100 look like it came out a cracker jack box ,

Coming from the fanatastic Nokia 808, image quality from other sources is usually a step back.Moreover, the android phone I purchased just for listening to podcasts, provides a very strange & alien interface. Every app asks for permission to access my contacts, even the compass! If denied, it won't function. What a spooky world.

The tipping ,point has arrived..............................top film directors are now making cinema released films on the iphone. The latest P20 pro phone is taking incredible night shots...........and the daytime shots are superb.Is this kit as good as dedicated cameras.....perhaps not. Will it suit a great many people... yes. Will more camera enthusiasts move to phones as their main device...yes. The tipping point has arrived.As for operating systems .......you take your pick and learn it . ....At the end of the day the equipment is less important than the shot.

Since the cameras has built-in wifi, competiton between cameras and phones are over. 2008 8.0mpx p&s cameras has better zoom tele photos than 2018 phone cam. Or 2013 made Panasonic GM1 is a fantastic camera able to change lens and share photos yo your phone... Kicks any phone camera any day!

So as article say, don't dump your precious cash on a dumb oriented phones, so called smart one.

Smartphones are the jack of all trades - masters of nothing. They are not great cameras, not great computers, not great phones, not great navigation devices...where they excel is that they are nearly always on hand.

One case they are superior to actual cameras: sharing images. Since the days of film cameras - there have been rolls upon rolls of exposed yet undeveloped film sitting in closets or on photo albums in closets. Same for digital cameras - photos that either sit on memory cards or if lucky get loaded onto a computer and eventually to a social media account. The masses share photography (and video) like never before with the advent of Smartphones.

That said, I will likely always have a dedicated camera - because I am willing to suffer through the production process and task of printing or sharing because the final image is important to me.

All dedicated devices are built to a price point, and I'd bet that a modern smartphone has better screen/touch capabilities, CPU/GPU, more memory and storage, connectivity, and battery than the vast majority of "dedicated" devices.

Is it possible to build a dedicated device that beats a smartphone at a given task? Sure. But even so, that device is probably worse in many of the other areas mentioned.

Just one case: My fiancee has a Canon S95 camera I bought for her a while back. Today she has an iPhone 8 Plus. The iPhone is more convenient. The iPhone has better facial recognition. The iPhone's touch screen makes previews and selecting focus points a lot easier.

Heck, the iPhone even has better IQ. We put FiLMic Pro on her phone, and it blows away the film mode on the S95. Heck, it produces better results than my a6000.

Bottom line is that a modern smartphone often outperforms a dedicated device, or at least is "good enough" such that it makes owning a dedicated device superfluous.

Good for you being able to produce better results with your iPhone than your a6000. Sounds like we have different criteria on what is a better result. The smartphone has displaced a lot of technology and I am a fan, but we have different criteria on what constitutes mastered.

BTW - I'm typing this on a dedicated keyboard with a 30-inch apple cinema display while simultaneously designing a responsive website and watching CNN in a separate window.

Im not so sure.....I think some phones now are truly great at what they do...........take navigation...............no need to pay for updates....google has it sorted......speed cameras...........alternative routes.......traffic......walking routesand free. The latest cameras are amazing. ...for most things....telling the time ...alarm clocks........instant saving to the cloud..........Voice recognition and language translation....incredible...and so much more.

I knew you were talking about video, I'm not huge into video. Like I said we have different measures. I tend only to use the a6000 to create in-house corporate training videos - hardly taxing on any camera. Even so, I always get asked something along the lines "Wow - that camera did you use?" We know it's not the camera. :)

I haven't found any smartphone with a "best" camera that fails as a smartphone. This is more relevant back then with the Nokias with impressive cameras but poor operating systems. The iPhones have small sensors but they are the first with color management and 4K at 60fps. You can't go wrong with a Samsung unless you are nitpicking the JPEG output which I do and replaced it with Google's HDR camera app.

It is quite obvious not to buy the "best" camera if one isn't serious into smartphone photography.

Apple had the lead in camera for a long time, but I prefer Android UI (not so fond of the UI on my wifes Samsung though), so while I still want a decent camera on my phone (for a flagship phone, you would expect it), the camera alone is not the deciding factor. The comparisons between phone cameras is very relevant for me. Since the Sony Ericsson k750i (I believe it was the first phone with autofocus), the camera has been a differentiating factor for me. I expect all other functions on the phone to operate well, so the camera is one of the major areas where a phone can shine.

I'm currently sporting a P10 and am delighted with the IQ for certain purposes. By the time my contract is up I'll probably be looking forward to the treats the P30 and its peers can provide.

I like this article. Some while back I bought Nokia 1020. It had a great camera for the time and I found their solution to small cellphone camera size a very elegant one. So, I ended up loving the phone as a camera, but I so hated the Microsoft operating system and the primitive apps available for it that I often did not have it on me out of sheer frustration.

Today the Android and iOS are very good and the cameras are much improved. I am not sure whether I trust modifications made to Android by various makers and so I stuck with unlocked Nexus and my wife has a Pixel 2. I am a serious hobbyist and a good camera on a phone is very important. I process my cell phone images in Photoshop and often print them to 17"x22". I am now contemplating Huaway 20Pro, but I am wary of their modification of Android. I amy end up with Pixel 3.

If you want obvious differences compared to a few years old phone camera, there is no other way than get a stand-alone camera. Size and weight preference of a phone camera greatly slow down its progression.

At the end of the day it still depends on the priority you give to the camera in relation to the other features of the phone. It's pretty much the same with "real" cameras: we don't simply buy whatever has the best image quality, but we choose based on all the features, ergonomics and interface, the whole system of available optics and accessories, and latter but not least, price.

Latest in-depth reviews

After a rare Seattle snowstorm finally subsided, DPReview editor Jeff Keller was able to escape the snow and spend some time with the impressive Fujifilm X-T30, a camera that offers a lot of bang for the buck.

The EF-M 32mm F1.4 is a welcome addition to Canon's APS-C mirrorless lens lineup. It's a good performer all-around and enjoyable to use on the EOS M50, and we hope to see more like it introduced to the EF-M range.

We don't often get excited about $900 cameras, but the Fujifilm X-T30 has really impressed us thus far. Find out what's new, what it's like to use and how it compares to its peers in our review in progress.

The S1 and S1R are Panasonic's first full-frame mirrorless cameras so there's a plenty to talk about. We've taken a look at the design and features of both cameras and have some initial impressions, as well.

If you're looking for a high-quality camera, you don't need to spend a ton of cash, nor do you need to buy the latest and greatest new product on the market. In our latest buying guide we've selected some cameras that while they're a bit older, still offer a lot of bang for the buck.

What's the best camera for under $500? These entry level cameras should be easy to use, offer good image quality and easily connect with a smartphone for sharing. In this buying guide we've rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing less than $500 and recommended the best.

Whether you've grown tired of what came with your DSLR, or want to start photographing different subjects, a new lens is probably in order. We've selected our favorite lenses for Sony mirrorlses cameras in several categories to make your decisions easier.

The Ricoh GR series has long been a favorite of street photographers, and the latest iteration - the GR III - brings a new sensor, redesigned lens, in-body stabilization and on-sensor phase detection. We spent some time with a pre-production model in London and have some initial impressions to share.

Ross Lowell was a man of many talents who had more than 25 patents to his name, created a lighting company and created gaffer tape, a staple in the camera bags of photographers and cinematographers the world over.

Ricoh's new WG-6 is the company's latest waterproof camera, with a 20MP sensor, 28-140mm equiv. lens and the ability to go 20m/65ft underwater. If you need something that's both crushproof and chemical-resistant, there's the G900, which is designed for industrial use.

At its Galaxy Unpacked event, Samsung has officially unveiled the Galaxy S10 and S10+ with a triple rear-camera array, as well as a more basic S10e model with a dual main camera unit. As expected, the S10 series' display is the center of attention with a hole-punch style front-facing camera embedded in the screen.

Samsung wasted no time unveiling the Galaxy Fold at its Unpacked event today – a foldable device with a 4.6" display when folded, and 7.3" display when unfolded. The device contains a total of six cameras – three on the back, two inside and one front-facing camera.

After a rare Seattle snowstorm finally subsided, DPReview editor Jeff Keller was able to escape the snow and spend some time with the impressive Fujifilm X-T30, a camera that offers a lot of bang for the buck.

Given that it uses the same sensor and processor as the X-T3, it's no surprise that the Fujifilm X-T30 is capable of producing some excellent photos. We took a pre-production X-T30 all over the Seattle area and have plenty of photos for your viewing pleasure.

Tamron has announced three new full-frame lenses slated to launch in the middle of 2019: an SP 35mm F1.4 Di USD and 35-150mm F2.8-4 Di VC OSD for DSLRs, as well as an ultra-wide 17-28mm F2.8 Di III RXD for Sony E-mount cameras.

The EF-M 32mm F1.4 is a welcome addition to Canon's APS-C mirrorless lens lineup. It's a good performer all-around and enjoyable to use on the EOS M50, and we hope to see more like it introduced to the EF-M range.

Panasonic is well known for including impressive video features on its cameras. In this article, professional cinematographer Jack Lam explains one killer feature the company could add to its S series that would shake up the industry – and it all comes down to manual focus.